Anteroposterior dental arch and jaw-base relationships in a population sample.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between the anteroposterior relationship of the dental arch and the anteroposterior relationship of the jaw-base in a Chinese population sample.


METHODS
Orthodontic casts and lateral cephalograms were obtained from a random sample of 405 twelve-year-old Chinese children from a population survey in Hong Kong. Angle's classification was used to assess the dental arch relationship from orthodontic casts. The jaw-base relationship was assessed from the lateral cephalograms using angular (ANB angle) and linear (Wits analysis) measurements. The correlation between the anteroposterior dental arch and jaw-base relationships was assessed.


RESULTS
The anteroposterior dental arch did coincide with the jaw-base relationships, as expressed by the ANB angle in 61%, the Wits analysis in 67%, and with both in 53%. The jaw-base relationship assessed with the Wits analysis was more significantly associated with the dental arch relationship (P < .001) than that assessed with the ANB angle (P < .01). The correlation coefficient between the ANB angle and the Wits appraisal was .65 for the combined sample, and .60, .64, and .67 for Class I, II, and III dental arch relationships.


CONCLUSIONS
In this population, the anteroposterior relationship of the dental arch and jaw-base fail to match in at least one out of every three individuals. Linear measurement of anteroposterior jaw-base relationships is a more valid reflection of the dental arch relationship than angular measurements.
Zhou
Lei
L
Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Mok
Chung-Wai
CW
Hägg
Urban
U
McGrath
Colman
C
Bendeus
Margareta
M
Wu
John
J
D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008311:Malocclusion, Angle Class I / Q000473:pathology; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000473:pathology; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000473:pathology; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003765:Models, Dental; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results